8 Restaurant Secrets Chefs Won't Tell You

Despite what reality TV would have you believe, most restaurant kitchens aren't filled with filth and egos. Yes, things can get loud back there during the dinner rush, but more often than not, you'll find teams of creative and hard-working cooks who love life behind the scenes. To separate restaurant fact from fiction, we turned to chefs and culinary insiders. From cleanliness to who's really cooking your food, read on to find out what it's truly like behind those double doors — and how it affects your meal.When you feel like staying in instead of eating out, try some of our go-to dinner solutions, like this collection of 30-minute meals, or this list of delicious but nearly effortless slow cooker meals.

The Head Chef Doesn't Usually Cook

The Head Chef Doesn't Usually Cook

The more famous the chef, the less likely they're doing day-to-day work. "Diners are often surprised, but a head chef isn't actually cooking their steak," says Missy Robbins, chef of A Voce Columbus and A Voce Madison in New York City. "People always think I'm back there cooking their fish." Instead, a head chef is focusing on big-picture issues. "We oversee, taste, develop the menu, develop the recipes, teach the cooks, and manage the kitchen," she says.

The Chefs Probably Aren't the People Buying the Food

The Chefs Probably Aren't the People Buying the Food

"I get asked all the time if I'm up at 4 a.m. to go to the fish market," laughs Robbins. "I would love to live in a small village in Italy and go to the docks every morning, but that's not the reality. We go to the green market, but the bulk of our product comes from vendors." That's because vendors deliver goods straight to the kitchen, allowing chefs more time to concentrate on bigger restaurant details. Farming out this work is also cost-effective, since vendors negotiate prices, quality level, and shipping dates with suppliers.